Finding Stok High (Location Scouting)

Well, this is it, filming officially starts tomorrow! Today, Jake and I decided to finally officially go location scouting! We’ve had an idea of where we wanted to shoot since the beginning of the project, but today we packed our bags and went to check these places out and get a more detailed idea of where we would be setting up/filming.

The search started at school where we had to find the place to shoot the final scene and the VR room (which is just a couple of shots). My first idea for the final scene was recording it in “The Wave”, our school’s media center which has a very modern aesthetic. I asked permission from the staff at the wave and started to move furniture around to help compose a set that Jake and I would have full control over. I really like the way it turned out, it was very close to what I imagined when we wrote the script!

The second place I went location scouting for was the VR room, which is briefly mentioned in the script. Though the VR room only appears in a shot or two, it is important that it looks and feels like what it's supposed to. I was having a tough time finding a room in my head that really looked like what we were going for. I mentioned the project to a security guard from school; she became really interested in helping out and helping me find this VR room location. We ended up at Mr.Zocco’s room, a computer science teacher whose room is decorated with blue LED lights and a very modern-tech aesthetic. I was particularly interested in using the front of the room because I thought it was perfect for the few close up shots we would need from that room. Everything from the lighting to the furniture fit the aesthetic we were trying to convey in that specific shot. After explaining the project and its purpose, Mrs. Zooco agreed to lend us the room for filming any day we needed it! 

Two of the last three locations we had already figured out. We would shoot the first scene in Jake’s house and the 2nd challenge at a local park. However, the second to last scene on the beach is the location we were missing. So at the end of school, Jake and I went down to the place our Senior Class held their Senior Skip Day Party: John Lloyd State Park. The park is a beautiful state facility with private access to Hollywood beach and things like private bathrooms and camping sites. The entry fee is $6 (which we were more than glad to play to utilize such a nice public resource). We found the perfect setting for our beach scene. Here’s an episode of my online vlog series for this blog titled “Finding Stok High” about our location scouting.